In this sermon Newman criticizes the religion of the Pharisee or the religion of the day as being “often very beautiful on the surface, but worthless in God’s sight; good, as far as it goes, but worthless and hopeless, because it does not go further, because it is based on self-sufficiency, and results in self-satisfaction.” This type of religion seeks external excellence, such as a superficial command of the passions and the exercise of a few virtues, without any real knowledge of Almighty God, and one’s sinfulness and dependence on God.